Southeast Asia’s Spiritual Path

📍 Luang Prabang Airport – Luang Prabang (4 km): 15 min

Arrival in Luang Prabang. Welcome to the spiritual capital of Laos.

Your private car and driver will meet you and transfer you to your hotel for check-in.

At the end of the day, climb the 328 steps to the top of Mount Phousi to enjoy a panoramic view of the city and the surrounding countryside and get back to your hotel by the evening hilltribe market where you may find plenty of local souvenirs to buy such as handicrafts and textiles.

Overnight in Luang Prabang

Inclusions:

📍 Approximate cycling distance:

Your guide will pick you up at your hotel in Luang Prabang at 08:30 with your adapted bikes.

After doing a fitting and adjusting your bike, you will start your tour by the former Royal Palace, now the National Museum, where you will explore the history of Laos. Continue to Wat Mai, a temple renowned for its golden bas-relief.

Visit Wat Visoun, the holiest temple in the city, which was entirely rebuilt in 1887 after being destroyed by the invading Black Flags from Southern China. In the courtyard of Wat Visoun stands the Watermelon Stupa shaped like the fruit from which it takes its name. Continue passed Wat Aham, which was first built in the 1500s, and on to Wat That where the ashes of King Sisavang Vong are kept inside the large central stupa.

Ride along the Nam Khan River to visit Wat Xieng Thong, the most revered temple in Luang Prabang. Located at the end of the peninsula, close to the Mekong, this temple was built in 1560 by King Setthathirat and is decorated with ornate carvings and mosaics.

Lunch at Tamarind for some of the best local food in Luang Prabang (Lao set menu included).

This afternoon you will leave the town behind and ride to the Phosy Market, where you can join the locals and support vendors by buying fresh products or fruit. Your guide will be here to encourage you to taste some of the exotic flavors of the local fruits, helping to identify new items not found in your grocery store back home!

Continue your ride to Ock Pop Tock. This non-profit organization seeks to preserve traditional weaving techniques, a trade which was once an important source of income for many Lao families but is slowly fading out as modern technology has evolved. A short tour introduces the process of silk weaving from the initial stages of creating the dyes to the final process of loom weaving.

Ride along the Mekong back in to town for your final stop of the day. The Traditional Arts & Ethnology Centre is dedicated to exploring the rich diversity of Laos’ ethnic minorities. Traditional costumes, tools, and artifacts are on display alongside in-depth descriptions and written histories. It is a great opportunity to gain insight in to the Lao people (note: closed on Mondays).

As the day comes to the end, you will have the unique opportunity to experience one of Laos’ oldest traditions, The Baci.  The purpose of the Baci, which is a mix of Animist and Buddhist beliefs, is to call back escaped spirits to the body. This is something that is very important before major events such as weddings, births, travel, welcoming friends and farewells.

Overnight in Luang Prabang

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

📍 Luang Prabang – Luang Prabang Airport (4 km): 15 min Chiang Mai Airport – Banthai Village (5.6 km): 13 min Chiang Mai Airport – Tamarind Village (4.5 km): 10 min Chiang Mai Airport – Ratilanna Riverside (5 km): 8 min

For early risers, there is a very special dawn visit to watch the monks collecting the alms.  As the sun begins to rise, long lines of orange-robed monks leave their pagodas and walk barefoot down the streets collecting offerings from Luang Prabang residents. It is a beautiful, serene ceremony that highlights the spiritualism of the Laos people. Return to the hotel for breakfast.

After your breakfast, your private car and driver will meet you at your hotel and transfer you to the airport for your departure flight.

Suggested flight:

Depart Luang Prabang at 13:15 on QV635 (Lao Airlines), landing in Chiang Mai at 14:15.

Upon arrival at Chiang Mai Airport, you will be met and greeted by our Exo Travel guide for transfer to your hotel.

In the evening, enjoy typical Thai cuisine at a charming restaurant nestled on the bank of the Ping River.

Overnight in Chiang Mai.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🍗 Dinner

Travel thirty minutes by vehicle north of Chiang Mai city to a long-tail dock, where you will take a leisurely stroll around the grounds with herbal garden. Then board a long-tail boat and enjoy a 30-minute cruise on the rural Mae Ping River. Along the river banks, you will see traditional wooden houses and luxury modern residences. Arrive at the boat landing and walk to Waroros fresh food market, where you can experience the local Northern Thai way of life. From the market, you take a trishaw ride along Tapae Road, past the city walls and along Ratchadamnern Road to Wat Phra Singh, release fish or turtle for your special merit making.

To see the best of Chiang Mai, one should not only know where to go, but also when. On our signature city and temples tour, you will first explore ancient Chiang Mai, including its old city walls, gates, moat and markets. After visiting Wat Suan Dok, where the ashes of Chiang Mai’s royal family are interred, you continue to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, the temple on the mountain, and the most sacred in Northern Thailand. Your experienced guide will explain the story of the temple, the white elephant and lead you around its impressive chedi and show its beautiful murals. In the late afternoon, the tourist masses have already left the temple grounds and dusk will give a very special atmosphere. After your private blessing ceremony, witness the magical evening chanting of the monks. The tour ends with the spectacularly romantic evening view over Chiang Mai with its millions of glittering lights.

Overnight in Chiang Mai.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Chiang Mai town – Mae Kampong (59.9 km): 1.15 hr

After breakfast at the hotel, embark on a full-day tour to Mae Kampong village, where villagers produce local tea and coffee. The day starts with a drive through the picturesque countryside, stopping along the way at a local market to buy some fresh ingredients for lunch. Arriving at Mae Kampong, guests will be met by villagers who will then accompany them on a guided stroll through the community forest and tea and coffee plantations. Returning to the village, guests will enjoy a simple lunch prepared by their local host. After lunch, enjoy a traditional Thai massage and take a walk around the village to see the process the fermenting tea leaves and other traditional local practices. Return to Chiang Mai in the late afternoon.

Overnight in Chiang Mai.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

📍 Banthai Village – Chiang Mai Airport (5.6 km): 13 min Tamarind Village – Chiang Mai Airport (4.5 km): 10 min Ratilanna Riverside – Chiang Mai Airport (5 km): 8 min Yangon Airport to Yangon city centre (20 km): 30 – 60 mins

After breakfast at the hotel, check out and transfer to Chiang Mai Airport for flight to Yangon.

Upon arrival at airport, you will be greeted by your Guide who will accompany you as you transfer to the hotel.

Yangon, formerly known as Rangoon, is a relatively quiet and charming city. Its impressive colonial and spiritual heritage makes it one of the most fascinating cities in Southeast Asia.

After lunch (client’s account), we’ll visit Kyaukhtatgyi Pagoda, home to a 70-meter long reclining Buddha. A visit to Kyaukhtatgyi provides a great overview of Buddhism with murals depicting the life of Buddha. The feet of the statue are carved with traditional symbols and often many locals gathering to pay homage and pray.

Next your guided tour goes to Kandawgyi Park, one of central Yangon’s greenest spots. Here you will see the glittering Karaweik barge, a replica of the royal barge, with the vast lake and views of Shwedagon in the background. Depending on the day of your visit, Kandawgyi may be busy with local families who come here on the weekend to relax in the fresh air.

Then visit to Shwedagon Pagoda the most revered Buddhist temple in Myanmar. Although the origins of the pagoda are unclear, the local legend states that the original structure was built 2500 years ago then renovated several times until taking its current shape in the 15th century. The 8-sided central stupa is 99 meters tall and gilded with gold leaf and is surrounded by 64 smaller stupas and your guide will show you around the massive complex, explaining why this temple is so revered. Enjoy breathtaking views of the golden stupa from this vantage point.

Continue to your hotel for check in.

Overnight in Yangon

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Nyaung U Airport to Old Bagan (9 km): 20 mins Nyaung U Airport to New Bagan (12 km): 20 mins

After early breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the airport for the flight to Bagan.

Upon arrival, discover one of Bagan’s most famous legends as you follow in the tracks of King Anawrahta and his precious white elephant. The tale states that the King was given a replica of Lord Buddha’s tooth and he placed this on the sacred elephant’s back and set him free. The elephant stopped at four places around Bagan and later the King built stupas at each of these locations. Thus the local Burmese believe that by visiting all four of these places in one day your wish will be fulfilled.

Your Legendary Tour begins with a stop at Shwezigon Pagoda. Although this is one of Bagan’s most famous sites, few people realize the legend behind its creation. The centre piece of Shwezigon is its large golden bell-shaped pagoda situated upon three terraces. The lower-most terrace once featured wood carvings of nat spirits but these are now housed in a small hall within the temple grounds.

Continue on to Tu Yin Taung, a hilltop stupa in the eastern part of the main Archeological Park. As you approach the temple you will be greeted by 500 monk statues which line the road. The stupa’s elevated location offers fabulous views of the surrounding plains, a unique perspective of Bagan and its surroundings.

The next stop is Lawka Nandar which is in New Bagan next to the Irrawaddy River. Lawka Nandar is a bulbous stupa with a cylindrical bell and three octagonal terraces as a base. The temple still functions as a place of everyday worship as it is home to a Buddha relic. We’ll make a stop at Local Restaurant for lunch before continuing on our Legendary Tour.

This afternoon we drive to the jetty where a private boat is waiting to transfer us across the river to Tant Kyi Taung, the last temple on our tour. From the boat, as you cruise across the Irrawaddy, you can see views of the temples in the distance. We travel by local pickup truck (approximately 15 minutes) through the countryside to Tant Kyi Taung. This temple is unique in Bagan as it is thought that many centuries ago, Buddha stopped on the hill where the temple now stands. On the return drive to the jetty we can stop in Tant Kyi village for a short walk around.

Then it is time to return to Bagan, first crossing the river by boat and then continuing to an elevated viewpoint to watch the sun set over the plans.

Return to your hotel for an evening at leisure.

Overnight in Bagan.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

This morning after breakfast continue your spiritual tour of Bagan with a visit to Ananda Temple, one of the most revered temples in Bagan and which is quiet in the morning, before all the tour buses arrive.

Afterwards we will go to Myinkaba Village and visit Gubyaukgyi Temple which is noted for its beautiful mural paintings on its inner walls and well-preserved plaster carvings on its exterior. Nearby is Manuha Temple and Nan Paya Temple, two smaller temples with nice Buddha statues and stone work.

OPTIONAL ACTIVITY: Transfer to the Taungbi Monastery where you will participate in a special traditional Buddhist ceremony. Around 10.30 you will partake in an alms procession where, alongside locals, you will donate offerings of food to the monks. Afterwards you will receive a special blessing from the monks to ensure good luck and happiness. USD 350 donation fee.

Then visit three lesser-known temples that reflect the diversity of influence in Burmese architecture and religion. Pebinyaung Pagoda, which contains relics in its bell-shaped structure, was built after King Anawratha sent a group of monks to Ceylon (present day Sri Lanka) to help regenerate Theravada Buddhism in that country. The conical stupa construction reflects the influence of Ceylon’s architecture on this site. Continue to nearby Bupaya Pagoda, a bulbous structure on the banks of the Irrawaddy which is similar in style to the Tibetan chorte. At its base is an alter to Mondaing, the nat of storms. Finally continue to Nathlaung Kyaung, Bagan’s greatest Hindu temple. The structure stands as testament to the religious tolerance that prevailed during Bagan’s heyday.

Stop midday for lunch at a local restaurant (own account).

Late this afternoon transfer to the airport for your domestic flight to Yangon.

Upon arrival transfer to your hotel.

Overnight in Yangon.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Phnom Penh Airport - Phnom Penh (11 km): 20 mins

This morning transfer the airport for your international flight to Phnom Penh.

Arrive into Phnom Penh this afternoon. Upon your arrival in Phonm Penh, you will be welcomed by your local English speaking guide who will assist you with your transfer and check in to your hotel. 

Phnom Penh was once considered one of the most beautiful cities in the Orient, and despite its turbulent history and recent development, it still retains much colonial charm.  Cambodia’s capital is a bustling city majestically located at the confluence of the mighty rivers of the Mekong and the Tonlé Sap. Wide tree-lined boulevards and many colonial-era buildings reflect the glorious days and add to the charm of the city where Asian traditions meet Western customs in a fascinating way.

This evening you will have a welcome dinner at Bopha Phnom Penh Titanic, the kitchen serves tasty Khmer (and Western) cuisine on the terrace of a breezy terrace restaurant with sweeping river views. Apsara dancing is performed nightly between 7-9pm.

After the dinner, you can either be dropped back at your hotel or at the night market on the riverfront.

Overnight in Phnom Penh.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Siem Reap Airport - Siem Reap (8 km): 15 mins

After breakfast at the hotel, depart on a city tour in a typical cyclo. First, visit Wat Phnom, which is situated near the northern boundary of the city. The original temple was built in 1372 by a rich Khmer lady named Penh, who found a collection of statues of the Buddha washed up on the river bank and decided to house them on a nearby hill ("Phnom"). The site contains some good examples of Khmer architecture and statues.

Next, you will head to the National Museum which was designed by George Groslier and the Ecole des Arts Cambodgiens. The museum was built in traditional Khmer style in 1917 and was inaugurated in 1920 by King Sisowath. It houses the world's foremost collection of ancient Khmer archaeological, religious, and artistic artefacts from the 4th to the 13th centuries. Over 5,000 pieces are on display, constituting the repository of the Kingdom's cultural wealth.

Continue on foot to the Royal Palace. This palace dates back to 1866 and was the last palace built during the French colonial period. The same complex houses the Silver Pagoda, named for the over 5000 heavy silver tiles that cover its floors. Its original name is Wat Prakeo, meaning Temple of the Emerald Buddha. In this temple you will view a collection of Buddhas in gold, silver, crystal, and bronze.

After transfer to the airport for your afternoon flight to Siem Reap (45 min). On arrival you will be met by your local guide and transferred to the hotel.

You will have dinner at Marum restaurant set in a delightful wooden house with a spacious garden, and featuring a winning mix of creative local cuisine, Marum is named after the Moringa, or 'Tree of life'. Your visit not only gives you an incredible dining experience, but also helps build a new life for the students in training there! Part of the Tree Alliance group of training restaurants, they provide vocations into the hospitality industry for local street kids and disadvantaged youths.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Siem Reap – Temples (06 km): 10 mins

This morning, visit Ta Prohm, the temple made famous by the Angelina Jolie film Tomb Raider, which is otherwise best known for the trees and vines growing atop the temple walls. The temple is a perfect example of how nature has crept in and reclaimed its land after the fall of the Angkorian empire. Enter from the east, just as the temple opens (07:30), to avoid the crowds.

Breakfast will be served in front of Angkor Wat at Angkor Café before continuing to visit this incredible temple. Built during the reign of King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century, Angkor Wat is constructed following the model of the temple mountain symbolizing the Mount Meru, home of the gods. Inside the temple, the walls are covered with stone carvings and bas-reliefs depicting Hindu mythology and the wars Suryavarman II fought during his reign. Today, Angkor Wat is figured on Cambodia's national flag as the temple symbolizes the soul of the Khmer people.

From here it is not far to the ancient city of Angkor Thom, the last capital of the Great Khmer Empire under the reign of Jayavarman VII. This city is surrounded by an 8 m high wall, drawing a perfect square. Enter the city through the ancient Southern Gate, an impressive stone gate carved with three-headed elephants and capped by four giant faces.

Continue to Bayon Temple in the center of the city. This 12th century masterpiece is a study in grandeur and is well-known for its mural carvings depicting life at Angkor and the 52 towers featuring faces of the Buddha, looking out over the vast provinces of the Great Khmer Empire. The nearyby Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King are also worth visiting as they are both known for their intricate relief carvings.

Return to Siem Reap for lunch (own expense) before departing on an adventure for your senses. Pamper yourself over 3 hours with a deeply relaxing spa treatment at Bodia Spa where the wonderfully calming experience is perfect for anyone suffering from a long journey or a hard day’s activity. First a body massage will relax your mind, then an aromatic salt scrub will revitalize your skin and finally a vitamin facial treatment will ensure you are looking and feeling good.

In the late afternoon, enjoy a relaxing cruise in a gondola paddle boat at the moat of Angkor Thom compound while watching a spectacular sunset at Prasat Chroung temple. Cocktails, champagne, canapés and a soft drink will be available on the boat, as your boat paddles slowly along the ancient moat.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

Start your day today at Preak Ang Chek and Preak Angchom, a Buddhist shrine in the center of Siem Reap. This is an interesting spiritual place that is frequented by worshippers at all times. You will see Khmer people arriving with alms, lotus flowers, jasmine bracelets, and incense sticks that are used for their prayers, while Cambodian musicians perform live Khmer music. The shrine is surrounded by stories of power and indestructibility, and you are welcome to make offerings and embrace the powerful spiritual scenery. Preak Ang Chek and Preak Angchom have also come to fame because of the fortune teller at the shrine. You will have a chance to visit him and have your palms read and learn what the future holds for you!

Continue on to see the “gem” of the Angkor area, the pretty temple of Banteay Srey. The so-called “Citadel of the Women” remains the best preserved temple in Cambodia. It displays some of the finest examples of classical Khmer art as this small temple is noted for its truly remarkable fine bas-reliefs. Banteay Srey is unique in that it is constructed of pink sandstone, which is seen nowhere else in Angkor.

Continue to visit the Golden Silk Pheach Farm, a local NGO which helps to revive the ancient Khmer know-how in silk activities and provides job opportunities to more than 100 local staff. The farm area, mulberry trees and weaving ateliers can be seen as part of the guided tour. Golden Silk products are ecologically produced from the yellow silkworm which is unique to Cambodia. Some of the silk products are months, or even years, in the making and each one is unique. This is one for the connoisseurs of high quality craftwork.

Return back to the temple park this afternoon to visit Preah Khan, originally known as “the city of victorious royal fortune,” and now named after The Sacred Sword that some believe may have once been housed here. Built in the late-12th century in honor of the great King Jayavarman VII’s father, this massive temple complex originally had a population of 97,840 in its service. Less frequently visited than its counterpart Ta Prohm (which was built for the king’s mother), Preah Khan is similar in design but is larger and more complex, and features numerous unique structures and carvings. Enter from the east with the early morning light to your back and enjoy the sounds of exotic wildlife that now make the forested compound their home. Venture into the crumbling corridors of the labyrinthian complex in search of hidden features: while Ta Prohm was once the setting of the Angelina Jolie film, Preah Khan offers more of a “Tomb Raider” experience for those willing to explore.

If you’re interested in a few last temples, you may also visit Srah Srang, also known as the “pool of ablutions”, and Banteay Kdei, an impressive Buddhist monastery from the late 12th Century.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

Today experience an incredible tour to learn about life in a typical Cambodian village, meet friendly locals and discover traditional village customs and cultures.

Guests will be picked up from their hotel early morning by the local guide and driven to Ta Brak village, 25 minutes out of town. A western packed breakfast from the hotel will be taken and on arrival will meet and sit down with a local family and share this breakfast with them and to learn about local village life early in the morning when generally it is at its most active.

From here a 30 minute ox cart ride through the village will take you to a local market where a short walk through this bustling center will introduce you to Cambodian vegetables, herbs, fruits and other local produce. Continue 1km by foot through the picturesque countryside village, stopping off to meet the local community along the way to observe whatever seasonal activity is happening at that time, such as rice planting, weaving thatch roofs, planting or harvesting vegetable crops, making fish traps etc. Each tour will be different and the activities will depend on the time of the year, the family, and the needs of the local village. The surrounding countryside with its paddy fields and sugar palm trees is very typical for Cambodia.

End the morning at the local pagoda where a special water blessing by Buddhist monks await.

From here make a stop at the 9th Century Bakong Temple, part of the Roluos group and a site of an ancient center of Khmer civilization known as Hariharalaya, before continuing on an interesting boat trip on the Tonlé Sap Lake, where you will have the opportunity to learn about life on the lake. The Tonlé Sap Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia and officially designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, covering an area of roughly 2,500 km2, swelling to about 4 times it size in during the wet season: 10,000 km2!

Drive past expansive rice fields and through local villages where rice and fish can frequently be

spotted drying alongside the road. Next, board a private wooden vessel for a boat trip along a canal

that leads to the Tonle Sap Lake.

Cruise along the canal with houses on either side: depending on the time of your visit, the houses will either have immediate access to the water or stand perched on stilts high above the ground, a phenomena caused by the annual rising and receding waters of the Tonle Sap Lake, Southeast Asia’s largest lake. Pass by the boats and nets used by local fishermen, some of whom you may spot fishing in the waters through which the boat passes. As you near the lake, you will see floating houses that move location with the annual ebb and flow of the lake’s waters.

Along the way, gain a better understanding of the local lifestyle with lunch in a family house. This is a unique opportunity to gain first-hand experience of the way of life of the local people- sitting inside a stilted house while watching the boats pass outside. (Note: Due to fluctuating water levels on the lake and the canals, the village visited will depend on the date and water levels at that time).

Optional: Phare Ponleu Selpak in Siem Reap – (evening)

This evening attend a performance of ‘Phare, the Cambodian Circus’. Starting at 8pm, professional artists of Phare Ponleu Selpak (PPS) will perform an inspiring show suitable for people of all ages. Set up in Battambang in 1994 by young returnee Cambodians from the refugee camps who learned about using art as a means of coping with trauma, PPS has played an influential role in promoting and developing Khmer culture over the years after the Khmer Rouge genocide. The hour long show mixes traditional and modern theater, music, dance, acrobatics, juggling and contortion performed in a story about Cambodian lives and society. Student performances can still be seen twice weekly in Battambang but now the circus has arrived in Siem Reap!

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

📍 Siem Reap - Siem Reap Airport (8 km): 15 mins

This morning, visit the Buddhist monastery Wat Damnak and one of the oldest pagodas in the town center. Here, Buddhist monks are celebrating their daily meditation session, which you are welcome to join and experience.

Enjoy the rest of this day at leisure to explore Siem Reap at your own pace.

Transfer to the airport for your departure flight.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast